Free Scrum Professional Scrum with Kanban PSK-I Exam Questions

Within the same Kanban system, Work in Progress (WIP) is not a leading indicator for 'Story points delivered.' While WIP can influence throughput and cycle time, it does not directly correlate with story points delivered, as story points are a measure of effort or complexity rather than flow. The number of story points delivered is not directly influenced by the current WIP levels

For teams practicing Professional Scrum with Kanban, the most appropriate metrics to inspect are:

Control Chart: This chart helps visualize process stability and identify any significant deviations from the expected behavior. By tracking key metrics like lead time and cycle time, teams can identify trends and potential issues.

Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD): The CFD provides a visual representation of the flow of work through the system. It helps teams understand bottlenecks, identify areas for improvement, and assess the overall health of their workflow.

Aging Chart: This chart shows the age of work items as they progress through the workflow. It helps teams identify items that are taking too long to complete and prioritize them accordingly.

These metrics are particularly relevant for Kanban teams because they focus on the flow of work and the identification of bottlenecks. By tracking these metrics, teams can make data-driven decisions to optimize their workflow and improve delivery performance.

Options B, C, and D are not the most appropriate metrics for Kanban teams. Story points and historical velocity are more commonly used in Scrum, while t-shirt size is a relative estimation technique that may not be suitable for all Kanban teams.

When WIP limits are implemented, Developers are encouraged to focus on completing existing tasks rather than starting new ones. This leads to a more collaborative approach, as team members may swarm to complete items together. Additionally, limiting WIP enhances transparency in the process, which in turn strengthens self-management by the team. These principles align with Kanban's emphasis on active management and the Scrum framework's focus on collaboration. Reference: The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams.

Cycle Time is a lagging indicator, meaning it can only be measured after a work item is complete. Therefore, it cannot be used as a leading indicator of the length of the feedback loop (Option A). Additionally, Cycle Time is not typically used during the Daily Scrum to help Developers inspect and adapt their Sprint; rather, it is more often used to assess overall process efficiency

When a Scrum Team uses Kanban, they can visualize:

* The Product Backlog: By making the Product Backlog visible, the team can track what work items are upcoming and prioritize them effectively.

* The Sprint Backlog: Visualizing the Sprint Backlog helps the team see the work planned for the current Sprint, track progress, and manage flow.

* The Definition of Done: Making the Definition of Done visible ensures that all team members and stakeholders understand the criteria that must be met for work to be considered complete

Cycle Time in the context of Professional Scrum with Kanban is defined as the time it takes for a single work item to move from the start to the end of a specific process or workflow. This metric is crucial for understanding how efficiently a team can process individual work items through their defined workflow stages.

* Option A describes a broader measurement from the initial concept to customer feedback post-release. This could align more with the concept of Lead Time rather than Cycle Time.

* Option B correctly describes a possible measurement for Cycle Time --- the time a work item spends in one specific column (workflow stage). This is in line with the definitions provided in the Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams, where Cycle Time can measure time within distinct parts of the workflow.

* Option D accurately reflects the definition of Cycle Time, which measures the elapsed time from when work starts on an item until it is completed.

* Option C describes 'Throughput,' which is a measure of the number of items delivered over a specific time period (e.g., daily or weekly). This is not related to Cycle Time but is a separate flow metric often used alongside Cycle Time to understand team performance and capacity better(

Thus, Option C is the correct answer as it does not correctly describe Cycle Time. This explanation is verified with resources from Scrum.org that define Cycle Time within the scope of Professional Scrum with Kanban practices.

Little's Law states:

* Average Cycle Time = Average Work in Progress (WIP) / Average Throughput.

Little's Law is used to understand and forecast the performance of a workflow system. It implies that if you know two of these three variables (Cycle Time, WIP, Throughput), you can calculate the third. The correct formula is Option A(

Options B, C, and D do not correctly state Little's Law.

A Cycle Time Scatterplot is a visualization tool used to display the cycle times for individual work items over time. This scatterplot provides several types of qualitative information:

1. General Cycle Time Trends (Option A): The scatterplot can show general trends over time, such as whether the cycle times are decreasing, increasing, or staying stable. This helps teams understand the overall direction in which their workflow efficiency is moving.

2. Single Cycle Time Outliers (Option B): The scatterplot also helps identify individual outliers --- work items that took significantly longer or shorter than usual to complete. These outliers can be further investigated to understand why they occurred and to prevent similar situations in the future.

3. Clusters of Cycle Time Outliers (Option C): In addition to single outliers, the scatterplot may reveal clusters of outliers. These clusters can indicate systemic issues, such as bottlenecks or recurring problems in a specific part of the process.

Since a Cycle Time Scatterplot provides all these types of information (general trends, single outliers, and clusters of outliers), the correct answer is D.

Work in Progress (WIP) Limits can be adjusted at any time as needed to optimize flow and improve the system's efficiency. The decision to adjust WIP limits is typically informed by the team's observations of flow metrics (e.g., Cycle Time, Throughput, and Work Item Age) or to address bottlenecks or inefficiencies.

Supporting Reasons:

Kanban's Flexibility:

Unlike rigid frameworks, Kanban allows for flexibility in changing WIP limits whenever necessary to adapt to evolving conditions.

Scrum Events:

Adjustments to WIP limits are often discussed during events like the Sprint Retrospective or Daily Scrum, but these are not the only times changes can be made.

Empirical Process Control:

Teams use transparency, inspection, and adaptation to decide when to change WIP limits based on real-time needs.

Why Not the Other Options?

B . When the Product Owner decides to change it:

Incorrect. WIP limits are a team decision and are not controlled solely by the Product Owner.

C . It never changes:

Incorrect. WIP limits are not static; they are dynamic and evolve based on team and system needs.

D . Only during the Sprint Retrospective:

Incorrect. While the Sprint Retrospective is a common time to discuss adjustments, changes are not restricted to this event.

E . Only during Sprint Planning:

Incorrect. Sprint Planning focuses on selecting work for the Sprint, not exclusively on adjusting WIP limits.

F . Only during the Daily Scrum:

Incorrect. Adjustments can be made during the Daily Scrum but are not limited to this event.

Adjusting WIP limits at any time ensures the team maintains an optimal flow, a core principle of The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams.

Adjusting WIP limits can directly impact Cycle Time and overall flow by reducing bottlenecks and increasing focus. Lowering WIP can enhance the team's ability to complete work within a Sprint by minimizing task switching and promoting faster delivery of value. Reference: The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams.